The history of the reigns of Henry the Seventh, Henry the Eighth, Edward the Sixth, and Queen Mary the first written by the Right Honourable Francis Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban ; the other three by the Right Honourable and Right Reverend Father in God, Francis Godwyn, Lord Bishop of Hereford.

ANNO DOM. 1547.

HEnry long since grown corpulent was become a burthen to [ 1547] himself, and of late lame by reason of a violent Ulcer in his Leg, the inflammation whereof cast him into a lingering Fever, which by little and little decaying his spirits, he at length began to feel the inevitable necessity of death. The cogitation of many things (as in the like exigents usually happeneth) op∣pressed him, and chiefly of his Son's nonage, but now entring into his tenth year, an age infirm and opportune to treacheries, against which he found small provision in his Friends, having none amongst those on whose Loyalty he chiefly relied, of so sufficient eminency, as to underprop his weak Estate with those supporters of Royalty, Power and Authority. His Brother-in-Law the Duke of Suffolk was lately deceased: Seymour the young Prince's Uncle was a man whose Goodness was not tempered with Severity, and being descended of a Family more ancient than noble (as having until now never transcended Knighthood) would be subject to contempt. They who more nearly partici∣pated of the Blood Royal, as they any way excelled in Power or Virtue, were the more suspected and hated by him. The Family of the Howards was then most flourishing, the chief whereof was Thomas Duke of Norfolk, a man famous for his exploits in France, Scotland, and elsewhere, long exercised in the School of Expe∣rience, many ways deriving himself from the Crown, popular, of great command and revenues. But the edge of the old man's disposition made mild and blunted with age, administred the less cause of suspition. Of his eldest Son Henry Earl of Surrey, the King was certainly jealous, and resolved to cut him off. He had lately in the Wars of France manifested himself heir to the glory of his Ancestors, was of a ripe wit, and endued with great Learning, so that the Elogy afterwards given to his Son Henry, that He was the Learned'st among the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and the Noblest among the Learned, might have as fitly been applied to him, was very gracious with the people, expert in the Art Military, and esteemed fit for publick Government. These great Virtues were too great Faults, and for them he must suffer. Treason is objected to him,

and upon the surmise he and his Father sent to the Tower. On [ 1547] the thirteenth of January he is arraigned, the chief point of his accusation whereon they insisted being, for bearing certain Arms, which only belonged to the King, and consequently aspi∣ring to the Crown. Of other things he easily acquitted himself, and as for those Arms, he constantly affirmed that they here∣ditarily pertained unto him; yet notwithstanding he would not have presumed to have born them, but being warranted by the opinion of the Heralds, who only were to give judgment in these cases. The Judges not approving of his answer condemn him, and so the Flower of the English Nobility is on the nineteenth of January beheaded, the King lying in extremity, and breathing his last in Blood. The Duke was adjudged to perpetual impri∣sonment, where he continued until he was by Queen Mary set at liberty.

The King, his disease growing on him, at last makes his Will, wherein (by virtue of a Law lately Enacted) he ordains Prince Edward his Successour in the first place, and in the second (Prince Edward dying Issueless) substitutes the Lady Mary begotten of Catharine of Arragon, and upon the like defect of Issue in Mary in the third place substitutes the Lady Elizabeth. These three reigned successively, and accomplished the number of fifty six years; at the expiration whereof Queen Elizabeth ended her long glorious Reign, and left the Diadem to King James, in the many regards of his Learning, Religion; Goodness, peaceable and happy Reign the Mirrour of late Ages. The next care was of his Executors, whom he also appointed (Tutors shall I say or) Counsellors to his Son, and were in number sixteen, viz.

• Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury.
• Thomas Wriothsley Lord Chancellour.
• William Paulet Lord Saint-John.
• John Russel Lord Privy Seal.
• Edward Seymour Earl of Hertford.
• John Dudley, Viscount Lisle Lord Admiral.
• Cuthbert Tonstall Bishop of Duresm.
• Sir Anthony Brown Master of the Horse.
• Sir Edward Mountague Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
• Sir William Paget.
• Sir William Harbert.
• Sir Thomas Bromley.
• Sir Anthony Denny.
• Sir Edward North.
• Sir Edward Wotton.
• Doctor Wotton Dean of Canterbury and York.

To whom he added as Assistants, especially in matters of great [ 1547] consequence:

• Henry Earl of Arundel.
• William Earl of Essex.
• Sir Thomas Cheny Steward of the King's Houshold.
• Sir John Gage Comptroller.
• Sir Anthony Wingfield Vice-Chamberlain.
• Sir William Peter Secretary.
• Sir Richard Rich.
• Sir John Baker.
• Sir Ralph Sadler.
• Sir Thomas Seymour.
• Sir Richard Southwell.
• Sir Edmond Pecham.

He ordained his Body should be interred at Windsor in a Monu∣ment (yet imperfect) erected by Cardinal Wolsey, not for him∣self (as many falsly 〈◊〉〈◊〉) but for the King, as by the Inscri∣ption is manifest, which cannot be of later date. For therein Henry is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Lord of Ireland without any mention of Supreme Head of the Church, which two particles it is manifest were changed in the Title after Wolsey his death. In the same his last Will he commanded that the Monuments of Henry the Sixth, and Edward the Fourth (both interred in Windsor) should be made more magnificent and stately, and other things of less moment, most of which were neglected. This last Will and Testament he confirmed, subscribed, and sealed the last of December, and survived a month after, dying at Westminster the eight and twen∣tieth of January, and that in this manner: The King having long languished, the Physicians finding apparent symptoms of approaching death, wished some of his friends to admonish him of his estate, which at last Sir Anthony Denny undertook, who going directly to the fainting King, told in few (but those plain) words, That the hope of humane help was vain, wherefore he beseeched his Majesty to erect his thoughts to Heaven, and be∣thinking him of his 'fore-passed life, through Christ to implore God's Mercy. An advice not very acceptable to him. But find∣ing it grounded upon the judgment of the Physicians, he sub∣mitted himself to the hard law of necessity, and reflecting upon the course of his Life (which he much condemned) he professed himself confident, that through Christ his infinite Goodness all his sins, although they had been more in number and weight, might be pardoned. Being then demanded whether he desired to confer with any Divines; With no other (saith he) but the Archbishop Cranmer, and not with him as yet; I will first repose my self a little, and as I then find my self will determin accordingly.

After the sleep of an hour or two finding himself fainting, he [ 1547] commanded the Archbishop (then at Croydon) should be sent for in all hast. Who using all possible speed came not until the King was speechless. As soon as he came, the King took him by the hand, the Archbishop exhorting him to place all his hope in God's Mercies through Christ, and beseeching him, that if he could not in words, he would by some sign or other testifie this his Hope: Who then wringed the Archbishop's hand as hard as he could, and shortly after expired, having lived fifty five years and seven months, and thereof reigned thirty seven years nine months and six days.

Thus ended Henry the Eighth his Life and Reign, which for the first years of his Government was like Nero's Five years, Admirable; for often Victories and happy Success in War, Glo∣rious; for the many Changes under it, Memorable; for the Foundation of the Churches Reformation, Laudable; to Queens, most unhappy; for the Death of so many (for the most) great Personages, Bloody; and for the frequent Exactions and Subsidies, and Sacrilegious Spoil of the Church, much Prejudicial to the Estate, Grievous and Burthensom to the Subject.